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News  MassWildlife Habitat Management Grants awarded

MassWildlife awarded $184,400 in grants to eight municipalities and conservation organizations to improve habitat for wildlife.
11/15/2021
  • Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Media Contact   for MassWildlife Habitat Management Grants awarded

Media Contact, MassWildlife

bobolink in grassland

Eight municipalities and conservation organizations were awarded a total of $184,400 for habitat management projects to improve habitat for rare or declining populations of wildlife. The grants are provided through MassWildlife’s Habitat Management Grant Program (MHMGP) and will fund wildlife habitat improvement projects on 276 acres.

In its 7th year, MassWildilfe’s Habitat Management Grant Program provides financial assistance to private and municipal landowners of conserved lands to improve and manage habitat for wildlife deemed in greatest conservation need and for certain game species. The projects are also designed to complement ongoing habitat management efforts on state lands and promote opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor recreation.

Although MassWildlife and other conservation organizations have made unprecedented investments in land acquisition in Massachusetts, land protection alone is not enough to guarantee the persistence of the Commonwealth’s diverse wildlife. Investment in habitat restoration and management is urgently needed on public and private lands across the state. To address this need, MassWildlife and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs have substantially increased their investment in habitat management on state wildlife lands and are committed to working with partners to promote these efforts on other conserved lands across the state. The MHMGP encourages landowners to engage in active habitat management on their properties to benefit wildlife. 

“Most forests and other wildlife habitats in Massachusetts are not state-owned, and we rely on conservation organizations, cities and towns, private landowners, and other partners to help us manage habitat to benefit all wildlife,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon. “This program provides us with the opportunity to expand our habitat management footprint, directly benefiting wildlife, sportsmen and women, and other people who enjoy outdoor recreation.”

“MassWildlife’s Habitat Management Program focuses on habitat conservation for less common birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, because the kinds of habitats they need are less common,” said Mark Tisa, MassWildlife Director. “Congratulations to this year's grant recipients. Your work will help further wildlife conservation goals in the state."

The following eight projects will were awarded MassWildlife Habitat Management Grants during the 2021-2022 grant cycle:

  • Dunstable – Zoo New England, in conjunction with the Town of Dunstable, has been awarded $11,289 to conduct scrub-shrub habitat improvement work to benefit rare species at the Pierce Town Forest.
  • Falmouth – The Town of Falmouth will receive $20,587 to improve sandplain grasslands at Coonamessett Reservation.
  • Fitchburg – Mass Audubon has been awarded $50,000 to improve pitch pine forest at the Flat Rock Reservation.
  • Groton – The Town of Groton will receive $29,050 to create and improve open field and shrub habitat at Priest Hill.
  • Lenox – The Town of Lenox, in conjunction with the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, has been awarded $26,810 to control the hardy kiwi vine at Kennedy Park and adjacent properties.
  • Nantucket – The Nantucket Conservation Foundation has been awarded $13,024 to manage sandplain barrens and heathlands on the Middle Moors property.
  • Sheffield – The Sheffield Land Trust will receive $16,040 to conduct brush hogging and invasive species control at Ashley Falls Woods.
  • South Lee – South Lee Associates, in conjunction with the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, will receive $17,400 to control invasive species and improve floodplain forest habitats on multiple Housatonic River properties.

Media Contact   for MassWildlife Habitat Management Grants awarded

  • Division of Fisheries and Wildlife 

    MassWildlife is responsible for the conservation of freshwater fish and wildlife in the Commonwealth, including endangered plants and animals. MassWildlife restores, protects, and manages land for wildlife to thrive and for people to enjoy.
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